Musical instrument.



P. GEEB.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1914.

1,1 1 1,256. Patented Sept. .22, 1914.

THE NORRJS PETERS 60.. PHOTD-LITHOH WASHINGmN. D. c.

25, vide the finger board with removable frets NIT -S ATES PATENT OFFICE.

.r taNK Gains, or none ISLAND crrY, NEW YORK.

Toall whomtt mag concern."

Be'it known that I, FRANK Gn'iin, a subject of the Emperor of Austria-I-Iungary, residing at Long Island City, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to musical instruments, such as zithers, and has for its object to provide a constructionthat will render the instrument more durable, enable the adjustment of the finger board to compensate for changes due to atmospheric or other external influences, the adjustment of the tension of the strings above the finger board to allow of their proper tuning and that will produce a. fuller and richer tone. With this object in view I provide a longitudinal opening in the top of the resonant body extending below the strings on which the melody is played and arrange my finger boa-rdover said' opening in such a manner that theisame can be easily ad usted longitudinally and readily removed. I also proand with. sound holes communicating through the above-named opening with the interior of the'resona'nt body. Furthermore, I construct the finger board in sections so thatv in case repair is required, not the entire board, but only a part needs to be removed. My invention will be more fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, in 'which similar reference characters denote corresponding parts and in which Figure 1 is a top planview of my improved instrument; Fig.2 is a longitudinal sectionon line 2+2 of Fig. 1;'Fig. 3 is an enlarged top plan View of a part of-the finger board and Fig. 4 is a cross section on line 44 of Fig. 1.

Referring specifically to the drawing 1 denotes the resonant body of the instrument and Qthe strings, of which the first five, beginning from the bottom of the figure, are

- those on which-the melody is played; while the other strings serve for ment. 3 denotes my new finger board and 4t denotes an opening in the top of the resonantbody, which opening extends substantially throughout the entire length of the finger board.

5 denotes the frets in the finger board.

the accompani Specification of Letters Patent.

H MUSICAL INSTRUMENT;

Patented Sept. 22, 1914.

liApplication filed. May 20, 1914. Serial No. 839,868.

It is well known that with Zithers a tremulo us tone is given by rubbing the stretched string on the frets by reason of which the frets become quickly worn or' dented. To avoid this, the finger board and the frets are made of metal and the frets. are fitted in slots provided in the finger board so as to-be easily removable in case oi any repair be ing required or in case it is desired to'replace the worn out or dented frets by new ones.

The finger board is provided along its lon gitudinal edges and at both sides with longitudinal slots 6 through which screw'bolts 7 are passed and whereby the finger board is capable of longitudinal adjustment in order to rectify the changes due to climatic or atmospheric influences. Suitably fixed to the top of the resonant body is a substantially U-shaped wooden base 9 which surrounds the longitudinal opening 4 on three sides. On this wooden base the finger board is mounted and is attached by the aforenamed screws 7 passed through the slots 6. Additional means to rectiiy changes consist in longitudinal shims or strips 10 inter posed between the base 9 and the board and which allow of the latter being raised or lowered relatively to the resonant body.

Instead of the ordinary position dots the board is provided with sound holes 8 which communicate with the interior of the resonant body through the longitudinal opening land which serve to produce superior tones. At the open end of the U shaped base 9 a passage or sound hole 4 (Fig. 4L) is formed between the finger board and the top of the resonant body which passage or sound hole communicates with therecess 4: and serve the same purpose as the sound holes 8.

As is customary, the strings stretched over the finger board are spaced by inclined pins 3, secured in the finger board. Owing to these spacers the removal of the finger board for repair or exchange would require the slackening of the strings. In order to avoid this and to obviate the necessity of removing the entire finger board I divide the latter can be removed sidewise after unscrewing the screws 7 without slackening the strings, while the part 3 need not be touched.

In addition to the aforenamed division of the board the part 3 may be divided longitudinally in sections, such as 3, 3*, 3, 3, 3 according to the number of strings used for playing the melodyand the corresponding number of spacer pins. Owing to this arrangement the sections can be independently removed and adjusted longitudinally. The individual sections are secured to the base 9 in the same manner as the part 3 of the finger board, namely by providing longitudinal slots 6 through which screw bolts 7 are passed. The independent longitudinal displacement of the individual sections is red order to allow of the strings properly tuned, for the strings for p ayin g the melody on a zither are generally of three different thicknesses which are not made to given meaures. Therefore, there is different tension, which frequently causes disonance. This disonance can be easily rectified by the adjustment of the individual sections 3 3 3, 3 3 by moving them away from or nearer to the part 3 as indi cated by dotted lines of parts 3 and 3 in Fig. 3.

hat I claim and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is:

1. In a zither, a resonant body, a finger board having loiiigitudinal slots for the passage of screws into said body, and whereby said board is rendered adjustable on said resonant body.

2. Ina zither, a resonant body, a wooden base-fixed to the top thereof and a finger board removably and adjustably fixed to said base.

In a Zither, a resonant body, a sectional. finger board, each section being removably and adjustably fixed to said body.

t. In a Zither, a resonant body, a finger board having removable frets and removably and adjustably fixed to said body.

In a zither, a resonant body, a sectional q finger board thereon, the sections being capable of independent longitudinal adjust ment and removal.

6. In a zither, a resonant body, a finger boa d divided transversely in sections, each section being removably and adjustably fixed to said body.

7. In a zither, a resonant body, a finger board divided transversely and longitudinally in sections, each section being independently,removably and adjustably fixed to said body.

8. A zither, comprising a resonant body having a longitudinal opening and a board removably arranged over said ope and having holes communicating with the interior of said instrument.

9. A zither, comprising a resonant body having a longitudinal opening and a finger board removably arranged over said open ing and removable frets in said finger board.

10. A zither, comprising a resonant body having a longitudinal opening, a metal finger boa-rd removably and adjustably mounted over said opening and having holes communicating with the interior of the resonant body and removable frets in said finger board.

11. A zither, comprising a resonant bod having a longitudinal opening, a wooden shaped base fixed around said opening and a metal finger board mounted on said base to be capable of displacement and removal and having holes communicating with the interior of said resonant body and serving to give a clear resonance effect.

12. A zither, comprising a resonant body, a wooden base fixed thereto, a metal finger board having marginal longitudinal slots and screws passed through said slots and screwed into the wooden base, said slots mitting a displacement of the said board? 13. A zither, comprising a resonant body, a U-shaped base fixed thereto, longitudinal shims 'on said base and a finger board reniovably and adjustably mounted on said shims. 1

14. A zither, comprising a resonant bOd having a longitudinal opening, a base fix to said body and surrounding said op on three sides, and a finger board fixedon said base, there being a sound hole formed at one end of said base between said he and said finger board, which hole communicates with the interior of the body through said longitudinal opening.

In testimony whereof I affix my signatum inv presence of two witnesses.

FRANK GEEB.

lVitnesses E. D. JUNIOR, D. KLEIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patent,

Washington, D. C." 

